Cinderello

Midnight

He simply couldn't resist. He slipped his arms around his prince's waist and pulled him against his chest. The smell hitting his nose clouded his mind for a second and somehow his head almost touched the crook of the prince's neck when he focused again. His breath stroked his soft skin and he could feel him shudder.
The prince laid his head back onto Cinderello's shoulder and sighed. "Where were you all my life?"
"Believe it or not, I was always there. But not the way I am tonight." He murmured lowly into his ear.
"What do you mean?" The prince asked against the star littered sky. "I would have noticed you."
"You did. Today at the stalls."
The other turned around in his arms to look him in the eye.
"Impossible. The only one I can think of is..."
"The girl that wanted to be a boy." Cinderello finished.
"But...that's impossible. How would you do this?"
Cinderello cupped the prince's face with his hands. "I have time until midnight before I turn into a girl again. I wanted to make you fall for me, the way I am supposed to be." He tore his eyes away from the golden ones to look into the distance where the church's clock ticked down. One minute.
"Listen, I know this sounds crazy but a fairy fulfilled my wish for the time being. I can't stay that way. Before I change...am I allowed to kiss you?"
The prince's breath hitched, his eyes hushed over Cinderello's features to remember every little detail about it and his golden eyes glistened with tears. "I don't want you to leave."
The clock ticked down the last ten seconds to the point where all arms stood in sync.
"I'm sorry." He said and pressed his lips passionately onto his prince's.
During their kiss the church bells filled the air and Cinderello became Cinderella again. His hair grew longer, his body contradicted and her face softened along with her voice.
They broke away and the prince just stood and stare while Cinderella lowered her head.
"I- I should go now...." She mumbled and turned away but he held her back.
"Wait!" He exclaimed. "Come with me please! I want to introduce you to my mother. As my new bride."
"What? You can't be serious, I'm just....I'm just a ordinary girl, a maiden..."
"No, you're not. Your father is a popular and successful businessman and you're pretty in addition. You have manners and I'm sure she will be content with you. It's the perfect solution, don't you see? Even if you're no longer a man I can still love you better than anyone else."
She swallowed hard. He was right, it would've been perfect but she didn't feel good enough for him. Not like this. Not in her maiden dress.
She looked down on it however- she wasn't wearing it. Her dress was glittery violet with golden ornaments and absolutely breathtaking if she had been like a normal girl.
"Alright." She finally agreed as she looked back up into those golden hopeful eyes.
This time it was the prince's turn to grab her hand and pull her along. They hurried back downstairs, around the corner of the terrace and through the open door into the ball room. Cinderella had trouble with running in the dress with high heels nevertheless she made it to the thrones without falling.
"Mother!" The prince called out breathless. The queen turned to them and stepped closer. Her narrowed eyes analyzed Cinderella from bottom to top.
"Is this your choice, son? Who is she?"
Cinderella bobbed a curtsey and answered in an instant. "Your Majesty, my name is Cinderella. My father is the businessman who lives in his mansion on the outskirts of your city. I am very honoured to meet You."
She kept her look down and had her hands folded neatly in her lap.
"She is the one mother. What do you say?"
The queen's eyes laid on her silently until her stepmother's enraged voice cut through the hall. "Cinderella!" Tina and Gina followed their mother by foot like two evil puppies.
"I am dearly sorry, Your Majesty, my stepdaughter wasn't even supposed to be here. I'll take her home with me."
"No need to, Mylady." She answered stiffly. "As she is my daughter in law she can very well stay here from the moment on." The queen clearly had an unsympathy against Cinderella's stepmother whose mouth hung open.
"I dismiss everyone of you! The ball is over!" Her mother in law announced and the hall began to empty until only them were left.
Cinderella was the first to speak up. "Thank you so much, Your Majesty. With all my heart."
"You don't have to, my dear. My sibling has apparently done her job successfully. Simon! Could you remove those last guests?"
The premier servant appeared and accompanied the loudly complaining Gloria and her daughters out of the door.
"Your sibling?" She wanted to know. The moment she finished her sentence the fairy entered the room and approached the group. "You?!"
The fairy tilted its head in agreement. "My sister sent me to find an appropriate partner for her son and I did. Now that you used your time as a man so wisely, you've proven yourself to be the one for him."
The prince and Cinderella looked at each other. "I know I'm not ideal for you. After all I'm a girl but-"
"Oh, of course, I forgot!" The fairy exclaimed excitedly. "Because you've proven yourself I can entchant you both so Cinderella becomes Cinderello again while for everyone else it seems to remain the way it is now."
It waved her hands again, enclosing Cinderella in a cloud of magic. For the queen and the fairy nothing has changed but as the prince's eyes grew wide his mother knew it had worked.
"You can get married and get children and still live happily ever after."